Publishing a book requires money, and sometimes your savings aren’t enough to cover the costs. That’s where crowdfunding comes in.
Crowdfunding is when you ask many people online to donate money for your project, like a book. You make a webpage on platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo explaining your idea and offer rewards to people who donate. If you reach your fundraising goal by a deadline, you get the money to make your project happen.
The Elephant in the Room
Now, the biggest challenge with this approach is convincing total strangers to:
Believe in your vision
Invest their hard-earned money
Share your project with others
This week, I set out to discover how they achieve this by analyzing 100 successful crowdfunding campaigns.
One thing became clear, they all utilize a time-tested technique—storytelling.
Through storytelling, you can create a narrative so compelling and captivating that people not only want to support your project but also feel inspired to share it with everyone they know.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
Step 1: Know Your Audience
Understand who you're talking to and what they care about.
This includes demographic information such as age, gender, location, and interests.
Look at similar projects or books to see who supported them and what messaging resonated with them.
For example, if you're writing a children's book about adventurous animals, understanding your audience means knowing parents of young children who value educational and entertaining stories.
Gather demographic details such as the children's age range, parental preferences for interactive content, and interest in animal-themed educational materials.
Study successful projects on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo to see how similar books resonated with parents and children. This will help you craft a compelling message for your target audience.
Step 2: Introduce Yourself and the Problem
Start by introducing yourself, your background, and the problem your project aims to solve.
Briefly explain why this problem is important and who it affects.
Evoke emotions.
This could be excitement, inspiration, hope, or even a touch of sadness to highlight the problem you're solving.
Use visuals and multimedia elements to bring it to life.
This could include:
High-quality photos
Prototypes
Sketches
Videos
Step 3: Present Your Solution
This is where you introduce your project as the solution.
Explain:
What it is
How it works
How it will address the problem you identified earlier
Step 4: Highlight the Journey
Share your journey of creating this project.
Did you face any challenges or roadblocks?
How did you overcome them?
This vulnerability is what builds trust and shows your dedication.
Step 5: Highlight the Impact
Explain the positive impact your project will have.
How will it improve lives or make a difference?
Step 6: The Call to Action
End with a clear call to action, urging viewers to back your campaign and be a part of making your vision a reality.
Follow these steps, and you'll be a crowdfunding storytelling pro in no time.
That’s it for this week. See you again next week. Happy writing!
Cheers,
Alex.
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